Theodore Nott

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Hermione Granger pointed out Theodore's name to Harry Potter for the first time in 1996, when Theodore was gathered in the school library with fellow Slytherins Vincent Crabbe, Gregory Goyle, and Draco Malfoy. All four boys had fathers who had recently been outed by Harry as Death Eaters in an article published in The Quibbler. Theodore was the only member of the group whose reaction to seeing Harry was not specifically noted as being either negative or threatening (it wasn't mentioned at all).[5]

Draco Malfoy: "Maybe he's going a bit senile. My father used to be a bit of a favourite of his. Slughorn probably hasn't heard I'm on the train, or -"

Blaise Zabini: "I wouldn't bank on an invitation. He asked me about Nott's father when I first arrived. They used to be old friends, apparently, but when he heard he'd been caught at the Ministry he didn't look happy, and Nott didn't get an invitation, did he? I don't think Slughorn's interested in Death Eaters."

Theodore was one of four Slytherin students who progressed to the N.E.W.T. level in Potions. During his first lesson with Professor Slughorn, he sat next to Draco, and they both sniggered when Hermione revealed that she was a Muggle-born.[7]

Personality and traits

Theodore is a clever, solitary boy who has never felt compelled to join "gangs," such as the one headed by Draco.[2] He is seen as a loner who does things by himself. Although he does seem fit to join in laughing at Hermione's blood-status.

Etymology

Theodore is an English name that comes from the Greek name Theodros, which is derived from the words theos, meaning "God", and dōron, meaning "gift". Thus, it is often considered to mean "gift of God". It was the name of many early Christian saints. The Welsh version of the name, Tewdwr, was anglicised to Tudor, the name of a royal dynasty of England that ended with Elizabeth I. It could imply that Theodore was "God's gift" to his parents, if the version of his mother being an older woman are true and she was already out of age to get pregnant.

In Norse mythology, Nótt is the personification of night. Also, Josiah C. Nott was a nineteenth century American physician who advocated and popularised polygenist theories about the inherent superiority of Caucasians.

Behind the scenes

A subplot that Rowling eventually cut from the series storyline was to have featured Theodore and Draco Malfoy talking in the garden of Malfoy Manor, which would have been one of the few times that Draco would be seen conversing with someone he regarded as an equal, as Rowling said that Theodore was just as pure-blooded as him. Rowling stated that she liked the scene so much that she tried to use it twice: first in Chamber of Secrets and second in Goblet of Fire.[2]

Rowling states that she knows much more about Nott than what is revealed in the books, and expresses a similar sentiment in regards to Dean Thomas.[2]